Bolster spring unit



July 12, 1938. LERCH, JR 2,123,702

BOLSTER SPRING UNIT Filed April 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 24 manta? July 12, 1938.

A. LERCH, JR

BOLSTER SPRING UNIT Filed April 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Ezuantor 77L 27 492, J7".

mm vk July 12, 1938. Rcu, JR 2,123,702

BOLSTER SPRING UNIT Filed April 12, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 12, 1938 PATENT osrics pots-ran seams um'r Anthony Lei-ch, In, Chicago, 111., allignor to Cardwell-Westinghouse Delaware Company, a corporation of Application Aprll 12, 1934, 8erial No. man I '9 Claims. (cl. 267-9) This invention relates to bolster springs for supporting bolsters of railway cars having novel means for frictionally resis'tingtheicompression of tlie'unit. Another object of the invention is'the provision of a new and improved bolsterspri'ngunithaving novel means for. holding 1 the partsin proper alignment during the compression "of the unit.

A still further object of the inve'ntion. is the provision of a new and improved spring unit having'extended friction surfacejs .so arranged that I the parts are held in proper adjustment during the compression of the unit, with-the minimum amount of wear on the friction surfaces.

A still further object of they invention is the provision of a new and improved bolster supporting unit which is simple in construction,

easily assembled, inexpensive to manufacture,

efficient in-operation and composed of a minimum number of moving parts. I

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with accompanying drawings. in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the spring unittaken along the line il of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is, a perspective view of the friction standard;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the thrust member;

Fig. 6 and Fig. '1 are perspective views of the friction shoes;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spring seat; Fig. 9-is a perspective view of one of the wedge or friction members; Fig, 10 is a vertical section of a modified form of the construction; I v Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of the thrust member;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the friction shoes; and 1 Fig. 13 is a perspective view of one of the spring friction members.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference character il designates a bolster spring unit comprising the base portion Ii, which may be, and preferably is, circular in cross section, its external diameter being substantially that of the conventional bolster spring of a railway car, whereby ly, for engaging corresponding inclined or wedg- 33 which is adapted to support a bolster of a railslide during the operation of the spring unit. The

, the unit may be substituted for said spring. The

base II is provided with a raised portion I! which is adapted to engage the interior diameter of a spring I! for p'ositioning'the same on said base, as will presently appear. i

The base is provided with a friction post i4 having two enlarged segmental portions I5 and I connected together by a central or web portion II forming parallel channels having the friction surfaces It and I! on opposite sides of the post. The bottoms 2| and 22 of these channels form friction surfaces which diverge slightly downwardly. The outer surfaces 23 and 24 of the-enlarged segmental portions l5 and ii are on the arc of a circle having a slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the spring i3 whereby the post will assist in holding the spring in upright position. The spring i3 is preferably provided with a smooth inner surface. As shown, the turns of the spring are angular in cross sec tion.

Suitable friction elements are provided for frictionally engaging the post l4 to resist compression of the unit. As shown, friction shoes 25 and i 25 slidable in the grooves II and i9 are empioyed. These shoes frictionally engage the friction surfaces 2i and 22 of the post [4.

The shoes are each provided on their upper ends with inclined surfaces 21 and 28, respectiveing faces 29 and Si, respectively, on the depending thrust arms 34 and of a thrust member 32. I

The thrust member 32 is provided with a flange way car. The friction surfaces 29 and BI on the depending arms 34 and 35 are plane surfaces and extend straight across, and in contact with, the friction shoes 25 and 25, respectively. The thrust arms 34 and 35 are connected by a stirrup 36 hav-' ing an opening '31 therein, through which a connecting rod 35 is adapted toextend. The friction post I4 is provided with a cut-out portion forming a slot 35 in which the stirrup 35 is adapted to post is also provided with an opening 4| through which the bolt 34 extends; The base is provided with a recess 42 for accommodating the head of the bolt and boss on the spring plate.

'lhe friction shoes 25 and 25 are provided with downwardly facing wedge faces 43 and 44 which are adapted to be engaged by corresponding friction surfaces 45 and 45 on the spring friction-or wedge members 41 and 48 which are interposed between the friction shoes and the spring iii. The 55 outer surface of the wedge members 41 and It conform to the inner surface of the spring I! and frictionally engage the same. 7

The upper ends of the spring friction or wedge members ll and II are provided with flanges II and II, respectively, which are adapted to engage the horizontal flange I! of a spring seat II.

The spring seat is provided at opposite sides thereof with lugs 64 and I! which are adapted to seat between the flanges ll and ll of the friction or wedge members 41 and l. at opposite sides of the unit for assisting in positioning said friction members. The spring is is interposed between the spring seat It and the base Ii and is held under initial compression by the bolt ll.

Suitable means are provided for preventing the skewing or displacement of the friction shoes during the compression of the gear. In the form of construction selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the shoes are provided with extensions 58 and II, which are adapted to engage the friction surfaces II and II,

of the friction post it and afford a long bearing surface for said'shoes. The friction shoes being elongated are held by the side walls of the channels from skewing or becoming displaced.

The inclined or wedging faces of the thrust member, friction shoes, and friction elements are all straight. and this materially assists in hold ing the parts in alignment. I

In order to prevent the forming of shoulders due to the wear of the friction surface on the post, the post is preferably reduced at its lower end, as at it. 'Ihe thrust member I! is hollow for receiving the upper end of the bolt II when the unit is compressed.

In the operation of the device, any shock delivered to the thrust member will cause said member to move downwardly and the inclined faces of the thrust member will force the friction shoes inwardly against the friction surface of the post and simultaneously force said shoes downwardly into frictional contact with the inclined surface of the frictional members 41 and Cl. This downward movement will be resisted by the resilience of the spring II, which, in turn, will cause the wedging surfaces betweenthe shoes and friction members to force the shoes into frictional contact with the friction post I4 and the friction members into engagement with the interior of the spring l3.

Upon release of the gear, the resistance of the friction elements will tend to slightly retard the expansion of the spring. The parts are so constructed that while the unit will follow the upward movement of the bolster, the force of the spring will be greatly reduced by the friction of the parts, whereby a minimum impetus will-be given to the upward movement of the bolster by the unit upon its rebound.

The friction shoes 2| and 28 are provided with recesses ti and 62 for providing clearance for the stirrup It Mlle-thrust member. These recesses are made sufliciently deep to compensate for the wear between the friction surface of the I thrust member and shoes.

The stirrup 3t engaging in the recesses 8i and d 62 tends to prevent displacement of the parts. If desired, the thrust member 32 may be provided with depending bosses I having substantially the form of the upper end of the friction post ll for receiving the impact of saidpost when the unit goes solid.

Inl 'lgs. 10tol3isshownamodifiedformof the construction. In this form'of the device,

area-roe the thrust member 64 is divided vertically into two sections, I and it. These members are.

vided with flanges II and 82 which are adapted to engage a spring plate,- as is usual in such constructions. The device is provided-with a friction post .3, which is similar to the friction post it. The post 03 is provided with a flange ll for engaging the bottom spring plate on a railway truck. The flange 84 is provided with a spring seat I! in which is seated a friction spring II which may be similar to the spring l8 described above. The post is provided with friction surfaces II and ll similar to the corresponding friction surfaces on the post It. Bpring. friction members I! and Ii are interposed between the shoes 12 and I8 and the spring it at opposite sides of the device. The friction members ll and II differ from the corresponding spring friction members described above in that the wedging surfaces 82 and 93 thereof are arranged adja cent to their lower ends instead of being adjacent their central portion, as in the previous construction. The friction shoes I! and II are also elongated in order to prevent tilting of the wedging mechanism. The thrust members II and it are each provided with depending L-shaped members which together form a stirrupor base 96 corresponding to the bale or stirrup 88 described above.. The meeting edges of the members N are provided with semi-circular recesses 1 96, which, when the device is assembled, form an opening for receiving the bolt 38.

The spring friction members I! and if are provided at their upper ends with laterally extending flanges l1 and 00 which engage. the

spring seat It, as in the previous construction.

In the operation of the device during compression, the thrust member I is forced downwardly onto the inclined surfaces '0 and II of the friction shoes I! .and I3, and this movement will not only force the shoes downwardly and inwardly into frictional engagement with the poet II but will force the sections I and ti of the thrust member downwardly into frictional engagement with the spring friction members 80 and Ii. The spring It will resist the downward changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A spring unit comprising a friction post, friction shoes in frictional engagement with said post, a spring surrounding said post and shoes, means comprising a plurality of friction members frictionaliy engaging said spring and shoes for forcing said shoes laterally against said post upon the compression of said gear, means constituting an elongation of said shoes for preventing skewing thereof, and abutments for said spring carriedby said post and first-named means.

2. In a bolster spring unit, a friction post, friction shoes engaging said post, wedge members engaging said shoes, a spring surrounding said wedge members, frictionally engaging the same and yieldingly resisting their inward movement, and a pair of thrust members for forcing said shoes into frictional contact with said friction post.

3. In a bolster spring unit, a friction post, shoes frictionally engaging said post, said shoes having wedging faces at their ends, a spring surrounding said shoes and post, wedge members between said shoes and spring and frictionally engaging the same, said members having inclined faces on their inner ends for engaging the wedging faces on the inner ends of said shoes and flanges on their outer ends extending over one end of. said spring, and a sectional thrust element, each section having an inclined face for engaging the wedging face on the outer end of the corresponding friction shoe, whereby when said unit is compressed, said shoes will be forced into frictional engagement with said post, said wedge members will be forced against said spring and said thrust members against said wedge members.

4. A bolster supporting unit comprising a friction post having friction surfaces thereon, a spring abutment on one end thereof, friction shoes engaging said post, a spring surrounding said post and shoes, and friction elements frictionally engaging said shoes and spring and provided at their outer ends with spring abutments, said spring reacting on said abutments for restoring the parts to normal position after compression.

5. A sectional.thrust member for a bolster spring unit comprising a pair of complementary sections, each having a semi-circular flange on its outer end and an extension terminating in an 'L-shaped projection on its inner end, said inner end having a semi-circular recess therein, saidprojections when in operative position constituting a stirrup having an opening therethrough along the axis of said thrust member, and wedge faces on the inner end portion of said extension. 6. A spring unit comprising a base having a friction post provided with a plurality of friction surfaces extending longitudinally thereof, friction shoes engaging said surfaces, a thrust member engaging said shoes for assisting in forcing the same inwardly against said post, resilient means for resisting the compression of said unit, and means frictionally engaging said resilient means for assisting in forcing said shoes into frictional contact with the post for resisting the compression of said unit.

7. A spring unit comprising an upstanding post having friction surfaces thereon, shoes engaging said surfaces, each of said shoes having inner and outer wedging faces thereon, a thrust member having wedge faces for engaging the outer wedge faces of said shoes, a spring surrounding said post and shoes, and a plurality of wedge members between said spring and shoes, said wedge members having wedging surfaces engaging the inner wedging faces of said shoes.

8. In a bolster supporting spring unit, an upstanding friction post, friction shoes engaging said post, a thrust member, a plurality of wedge elements, a spring surrounding said post, shoes and elements and frictionally engaging said wedge elements, said spring being adapted to resist the compression of the unit and to restore the parts to normal position after release, and means including wedging surfaces on said thrust member and elements for engaging said shoes for forcing the same into frictional engagement with said post.

9. In a bolster supporting spring unit, an upstanding friction post, friction shoes engaging said post, a thrust member divided longitudinally into a plurality of sections, a plurality of wedge elements, one for each of said sections and provided with outwardly extending flanges, a spring surrounding said post, shoes and elements beneath said flanges and frictionally engaging said wedge elements, said spring being adapted to resist the compression of the unit and to restore the parts to normal position after release, and means including wedging surfaces on said thrust member and elements for engaging said shoes for forcing the same into frictional engagement with said post.

ANTHONY LERCH, Jr. 

